FIRE (Elite Forces Series Book 2) (11 page)

As much as I’ve enjoyed the interaction with all of my girls today, seeing my mom’s face light up when she saw me and met Jade was the highlight. My fucking body is tired. I’ve hidden it well from everyone but Jade. Every damn time I moved, her head snapped in my direction, watching my every move.  She’s on to me about many things, but I’ll have to let her fuss over me when it comes to my recovery.   It’s about time to go.

Jade and I have two days before we head over to her parents. I intend to use those days fully. Fucking her sweet body before I drop the bomb that’s sure as fuck going to explode in my face.

We leave Sunday morning to head back to Mexico. Al-Quaren finally talked; in fact, he squealed and ratted out the name of one of the most infamous Mexican fugitives on the FBI most wanted list:  Fernando Sanchez.  Hell, I knew the second I heard his name that he’s behind so much more than just drug trafficking.  I remember seeing his name when we were working on the job to put an end to the sex trade ring that was discovered. 

The informant for that mission mentioned an American man.  I’ve never even considered that my brother could be that disgusting filth we investigated and were never able to uncover his identity.  Whoever he was seemed to always stay just one step ahead of us on that mission.  It was the reason we relocated the entire team to the compound.  We needed high-end security and completely secure facilities to meet in.  Our homes were no longer safe to plan missions of that magnitude.  Hell, we even began to think one of our own was feeding information to the damn enemy. 

Once we intercepted the delivery of over one hundred teenage girls, we actually killed three of the leaders in that ring and handed over files on countless international leaders trying to purchase the young girls.  

It makes vomit rise in my stomach to think my brother may be the ‘American’ they kept referring to.  I continue to watch my mom prepare her coffee pot so that it’s ready and waiting for her when she wakes up at five in the morning like clockwork.

“Kaleb.  What are you hiding from me?”  I lean against the counter, knowing I’ll hate this conversation.

“You know I can’t talk to you, mom.”  I bow my head in frustration. 

“Why do I think there’s at least something you can say?”  She turns to face me and stares at me with soft eyes, her look saying so much to me, and I struggle to find a way to make her relax about this whole situation  

“Not sure.  Just let me do my job and do what the security guys say.”

“You gonna tell me why you’ve tripled the guys out there?” 

“I’m working on a very dangerous project and won’t risk your safety.  Or Amelie’s.  It’s just a precautionary step and I need you to cooperate with them at all times, mom.”  There’s no way I can tell her I’m protecting her from the chance her own son could use her against me to draw information about an international terrorist.  Jade walks in, distracting us both from any further conversation.

“Don’t be gone so long this time, son.” My mom places a kiss on my cheek and moves to Jade, where she embraces her tightly. I’ll admit, today tugged on my heart, seeing all three of these women interact with each other. The happiness gleamed from my mom’s eyes, because all she’s ever wanted was for her children to find someone who loved them and be happy. She knows I’ve found it with Jade.  She knew it when I talked on the phone about her.  That’s something I’ve never done with any of my other relationships.   With all the questions she’s slung at Jade today, I suspect she knows why I’ve fallen for her. 

I’ve put on a damn good act for everyone today. Thank Christ for that. If she knew how fucked up my body was or the shit I’ve been through, that spark would die out of her. No goddamn way will I do anything to bring her any more pain. I’m barely containing the pain inside of me myself. It’s mainly emotional pain at this point, but I’m beginning to think that may be worse than anything physical. Now, I’m just ready to go home and crawl inside my woman to forget everything that’s stressing me the hell out.

“Next week, mom,” I respond then lift my chin at Amelie, who’s on her phone, standing on the porch.

I slide into my Jeep next to Jade, who’s buckling up her seatbelt. “Thanks for picking her up for me.”  I give my thanks once again to the two of them for going and getting my ride for me. I crank the engine and god, does she purr like the sweet little machine she is.

“You can cut the acting now that we're alone.” Jade’s angry voice detonates through the small confinement of my Jeep as I pull away from the house.

“Not acting with you. It was all for them and you know it. Am I hurting? Fuck, yes, I am. My back is killing me.” I decide to let her know exactly where I’m hurting before she has the chance to ask.

“No pain anywhere else?” Her wide eyes stare at me suspiciously from the passenger seat. She’s not only talking about my physical pain here, she’s digging. I can tell she wants to know if I’m in pain or feeling guilty about lying to her today.

I knew the minute I fucked up on that plane by barely being able to choke out a damn lie. Funny how you can hide all signs of lying to everyone else in your life, but when it comes to the one person you care about the most, all sense of ability flies out the goddamn window.

“My cock,” I say sarcastically, hoping like hell it will put her in a better mood. I get why she’s all uptight, but she can cut her act as well. If she’s pissed, then fucking tell me.

I need her feisty attitude, her out-of-control mouth, and I need her to say what’s on her mind. Not hold it in. Granted, we haven’t been alone for her to challenge me in the way I know she wants to, but fuck, I’m all ears now.

Then I need her support on this when I lay the bombshell out on the table. She won’t agree to stay behind, so I can’t share the details with her.  This situation is more dangerous than I thought. I’m damn lucky to even be breathing her in for the next few days before I face the insanity.  Jade is not the one in charge here. I am when it comes to this shit, and she is not fucking going on this mission. She is staying here where I know she’s safe. I’ll haul her sexy ass to the compound and tie her ass up if I have to.

“You tell me what the hell is going on, and I’ll relieve the pain in your cock.” There she is. The one I’ve fallen for. The smart-mouthed woman who's been holding back her hostility and anger all damn day.

“I told you all I can, Jade.” She exhales deeply, and I wait for it. Her spark is building and her anger is igniting while all I have to say is… bring it on. May as well get this shit done now, because the minute we step through the door of her apartment, I’m feasting on her. I’ll fuck her with my mouth until she screams, then I’ll turn around and fuck her some more. That’s how desperate I am to linger inside of her. I crave the feeling of her grip on me when we’re together.  The aching anticipation of feeling her love me, and then the sound of her crying out my name makes me push harder on the gas petal.

I’m a sick, twisted man. I’m sitting here, driving down this highway with my dick aching in my pants, all because I’m scared to admit to anyone I may not come out of this mission alive. I’m nowhere near ready. She knows it. I know it. And my guys know it. But it’s something I have to do. I have to make sure I’m the one who pulls the trigger and looks my own brother in the eyes before I rid the world of his disgusting existence.

“You're a liar.” We both look over to each other at the same time. I glance quickly back at the road, then make my turn onto the exit ramp, checking behind me as I come to a complete stop and shove my Jeep into park.

“I fucking told you all I can.” Jade glances past me into the dark with her heated stare.   A stare that speaks volumes before she even says a word. She knows I’m hiding shit from her; of course she does. How could a brilliant mind like the one she has not? Still doesn’t mean she’s getting a damn thing out of me.

“I’m not a damn child. Every one of you fuckers are keeping something from me. I knew the minute I saw all of you walking toward me today, with long faces and the same look of deception on every one of you.  Is it Ty? Do you know where he is? Has he threatened someone? Hurt someone? Called you? What the hell is it you’re trying to protect me from? Because, goddamn it, Kaleb, I’m beginning to think I need protection from you.”

What the fuck?  
Those words bite into my skin, stinging and burning worse than the multiple times my brother actually sliced me open.

She needs protection from me? Protecting her is what I’m trying to do here.  Everything I’m doing is to protect her and my family from the malicious monster that is possessed with the evil of Satan, for fuck’s sake.

I look away from her. My hands cover the leather steering wheel in a grip that has my hands stinging. I refuse to look at her when she places her hand on my arm. My chest tightens as I replay her words in my head.
Goddamn her.

The pain shoots up my arm from the death hold I have on the steering wheel, causing the grooves in the leather to dig into my palms.  I jerk the vehicle out of park and into drive, and step on the gas a little harder than intended, both of us feeling gravity pulling us back into our seat.

I’m pissed. “Fuck,” I spit out, then smash my hand onto the dash. “Goddamn it.” She flinches as I yell.

“Stop the fucking Jeep Kaleb.  NOW.”  She yells hysterically in my direction, her anger matching mine.  I pull onto the next side road and stop abruptly before she opens the door and slams it.  I meet her in front of the Jeep before she has the chance to walk away.  She’s already headed into the darkness before I can get to her.

“So now you’re just going to walk the fuck away into the damn dangers of the night.”  My voice is loud causing her to spin on her heels to meet me face to face.

“I’m walking away from the danger of riding in that fucking Jeep with you.”  She spews her angry words in my face before she turns to walk away again.  I grab her by the wrist and spin her around not wanting to deal with her attitude while I’m trying to figure out how to handle this fucked up mess. 

We both take deep breaths into each other’s faces as we stand there with a matching temper.  I can feel my heart pounding while my insides start to twist me into an unbearable guttural pain.  She’s not fucking walking away from me. 

“You’re not fucking walking away.”

“You’re not treating me this way.”  She gets closer to my face and doesn’t let up while I take her in.  Her eyes are serious and her body screams a fury that I wish I could inhale and take away from her.

“Get the fuck back in my Jeep.”  My words are deep and demanding.  She’ll be the death of me with this fucking feistiness.

“Stop acting like a damn idiot and I will.”

“I won’t ever apologize for trying to protect you, but the last thing you’ll ever need is protection from me.  I’d never fucking hurt you and you goddamn know it.”  She lowers down from the height of her tip toes to her normal stance.  I watch her as she takes in what I just said.

“You’re fucking scaring me.  You’re keeping shit from me and you think you can just act like an insane lunatic when I say something that doesn’t hit you just right.  Have you ever thought you might need to listen to what I’m saying?”  I don’t listen to another word from her, because she can’t speak through the connection of my mouth on hers.  I pull her against me with a desire to both shut her up and apologize for acting like I have.  She pushes against me, so I stop instantly. 

We both stare into each other’s eyes for a few seconds, our breathing continues to be heavily weighted and I know my mind is all over the place wondering where hers is. 

She finally wraps her hands around my neck, pulls me in and aggressively kisses me.  It ignites a fire within me that has been stale for far too long.  I need her right now.  Leaning down just slightly, I lift her so that she’s in my arms with her legs around my waist.  She continues to kiss me with a hunger and passion that I’ve missed so much from her.  This is my Jade.  The woman I first fell for in the desert.

“I’m going to fuck you Jade.  I’m not going to think about one fucking thing until I’m done with you.”  I lean her against the front of my Jeep and sit her on the bull bar before I lift her shirt off of her.  This bar makes her perfectly aligned with me and I moan in anticipation of burying myself deep inside of her.

“I’ve told you once before not to fucking walk away from me.  We stand together and fucking face the issue head on.”  I speak close to her lips and watch her take me in.  I’ve got to her, just like she’s got to me.  I’ve never had the intensity I have with her. 

She doesn’t say another word as she slides her pants off and welcomes my hold on her body as I enter her swiftly.  We both adjust with the forcefulness of my thrusts and she grips tight to my body while I hold her close.  Two people couldn’t be closer than we are right now.  This position allows for me to be incredibly deep and it helps that she’s practically climbing my body trying to get closer. 

I feel her nails scrape across my back while I continue to fuck her in ways I’ve missed more than I knew.  This is the fire I’ve missed between us.  Her passionate kiss causes so many emotions to explode as I transform from a man who’s fucking because he’s pissed, to a man who can’t get enough of the woman in his arms.

“Fuck, Jade.  I love how you feel.”  I stop moving to cherish her in this moment.  The night sky is dark all around us, and the sound of cars in the distance.  The warmth of the engine making this all even hotter than it usually is between us.  I’m sweating my ass off while I continue to fulfill my need of her.